March 2, 2012 2:41pm ESTMarch 1, 2012 9:48am ESTThe Packers' 2011 season ended in disappointment. For Aaron Rodgers and company to get back to the Super Bowl, pieces must be added to the team's defense. Offseason plans: DET

Tom Silverstein

Published on Mar. 1, 2012 | Updated on Mar. 2, 2012

Mar. 1, 2012

Editor’s note: Every team is preparing to attack its offseason to-do list, with free agency set to open on March 13 and the draft April 26-28. This is the 23rd of 32 reports in 32 days looking at the offseason game plan for each team. We’ll analyze the AFC first, in alphabetical order. Friday: Minnesota Vikings. Saturday: New Orleans Saints.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- This is not a team devoid of talent. It remains loaded on offense and is assured of having its top three targets – wide receivers Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson and tight end Jermichael Finley – available for MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

It has playmakers on defense, but was affected by the loss of safety Nick Collins (neck). The Packers will find out in a month whether he’ll be able to play again.

Lacking is a pass rush from the defensive end and right outside linebacker positions, two areas G.M. Ted Thompson has to address in the draft. He just doesn’t believe in free agency, so the Packers are fortunate it's a good year for defensive linemen.

Thompson needs to hit on someone who can anchor the run defense and provide inside pass rush in the nickel package. Perhaps Thompson’s biggest challenge this offseason will be crafting contract extensions for Jennings, guard T.J. Lang, linebacker Clay Matthews and potentially Rodgers. Some of those can wait until later in the season, but he’ll have to lay the foundation for those deals in the months to come.

Key departures

Center Scott Wells might be a goner. He’ll probably be allowed to test the market. If he doesn’t get the kind of interest he’s counting on, Wells might be able to work something out with the team similar to how things played out last year with wide receiver James Jones.

Losing Wells would be a huge blow because the team only has journeyman Evan Dietrich-Smith as an option and Wells has been the heart and soul of the offensive line. The offense requires the center to be bright and intuitive and Wells is both of those things.

The biggest question of free agency is whether Thompson will be able to get something for backup QB Matt Flynn. His option is to franchise him and then do a sign-and-trade or let him go and accept a likely third-round compensatory pick.

This is a situation where Thompson needs to go against his conservative nature and franchise Flynn. He has a chance to move up into the top 10 in the draft or get another second-round pick by dealing his backup. March 5 is the deadline for using the franchise designation.

Wide receiver Donald Driver probably will be back at a much-reduced rate, but he will have to fight off youngsters Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel for a roster spot.

Left tackle Chad Clifton will probably be a cap casualty after 12 stellar seasons with the team. Cornerback Jarrett Bush, the team’s best special teams player, will be gone if the team lets him hit free agency.

Needs and targets

1. Defensive end. The team realized how badly it missed Cullen Jenkins when its pass rush fell apart. Mike Neal was supposed to fill Jenkins’ spot, but he’s injury-prone and faces a do-or-die season with the Packers. Thompson would be foolish to count on him, so look for him to consider college defensive tackles like Clemson’s Brandon Thompson, Michigan State’s Jorel Worthy and Mississippi State’s Fletcher Cox in the first round and play end in the team’s 3-4 scheme. There are a number of those types in the draft and the guy who is taken will have to contribute right away. It wouldn’t be surprising if he used at least two picks on defensive linemen.

2. Outside linebacker. A year after Erik Walden surprised everyone and filled the spot opposite Matthews productively, the position was a bust in 2011. Walden fell apart after a midseason arrest and Frank Zombo and Brad Jones were non-factors. Sacks dropped from 47 in 2010 to 29 last season. In every good 3-4, the defense has two active pass rushers who can chase the quarterback into each other’s grasp. Drafting at No. 28, Thompson doesn’t have a shot at anyone of first-round quality at that position, so he’ll have to hunt and peck throughout the draft and go after a Ronnell Lewis of Oklahoma or Bruce Irvin of West Virginia. A wild-card is undrafted 2011 rookie Vic So’oto, who showed great athleticism in training camp but remains very raw.

3. Center. Assuming Wells leaves, Thompson has to find someone with starting ability. He would probably go after someone like Houston’s Chris Myers in free agency, but that would only be a short-term fix. Given a chance to draft Wisconsin’s Peter Konz in the first round, Thompson could very well do it. The 6-5, 314-pound Konz is much bigger than Wells and would fit the big, mobile type the coaches like on the offensive line. If Wells does come back, he still has to address the position because he doesn’t have much behind his starter. There aren’t, however, a whole lot of good prospects after Konz.

4. Cornerback. This is a position you could pick every year. But in 2012, Charles Woodson’s area of effectiveness will narrow further and he needs to be in the slot full-time if not be a starter at safety. Tramon Williams injured his shoulder and wasn’t the same guy as in 2010. The club has to be concerned about whether he’ll get back to that level. Sam Shields is a liability against the run and gambled too much last year. He may just be a nickel back. Thompson drafted Davon House last year, but he was slow to develop and it might be time to take advantage of the plethora of second- and third-round corners who are available this year. There are some talented players from big programs such as Oklahoma’s Jamell Fleming and Alabama’s DeQuan Menzie who will be available.

5. Running back. Veteran Ryan Grant is a free agent and there’s no guarantee he’ll be back. He finished strong in 2011 and appears to be over his ankle injury . But he’s 29 and it’s questionable if the team will make a long-term investment in him. James Starks has the ability to be a 1,000-yard rusher, but he has to stay healthy and be more consistent. Rookie Alex Green was coming around when he tore his ACL on special teams, so there’s no telling how that will affect him. Undrafted rookie Brandon Saine could surprise people this year. Nevertheless, Thompson probably will have to take a shot at a running back somewhere in the middle part of the draft. He likes big backs who can block.

Silverstein's take

If the team wants to get back to the Super Bowl, it has to shore up its defense. Since Thompson almost exclusively uses the draft to build his team, he’s going to have to count on some young players to step forward, but he doesn't have budding pass rushers and absolutely must get some in this draft. Being able to trade Flynn would give him the ability move up in the draft and get an impact player, but he’s going to have to play that one with more savvy than he’s ever shown. That may hold the key to the entire offseason. This team can win the NFC North again simply based on its high-powered offense, but to win another Super Bowl it needs to play defense more like it did in 2010 than it did last season.